Laura Kelly

Biography

When she was seven Laura Kelly, from Moodiesburn, joined the Scottish Children’s National Chorus and the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Her passion for singing continued, and she went on to study singing at the RSAMD, graduating with a first class honours and achieving the top grade in her BMus final examination.

Laura possesses an attractive mezzo soprano voice with a distinctive timbre. Past awards include both the Agnes Duncan trophy and the Young Opera Society trophy at the Glasgow Music Festival. While at RSAMD, Laura won the Hugh S Robertson prize and the George McVicar Memorial prize for Scots Song. She took part in a number of the opera school’s productions, performing as mezzo soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Laura was selected by the RSAMD to represent them in Japan at the Barakura Flower Show in Tateshina Heights.

Laura won a place at the Royal Academy of Music, London, to continue her studies with Jennifer Dakin and Audrey Hyland. She then progressed to the Master of Music (Opera) course.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help towards the costs for Laura to complete an MMus (Opera) degree at the RAM.

I feel I have been on a long journey from the beginning of my studies through to the present day and am so proud to receive the opportunity to study at the Royal Academy of Music…. without the support from the Dewar Arts Awards the continuation of my studies wouldn’t be possible.

The Dewar Arts Awards were set up by the Scottish Executive in memory of Scotland's first First Minister Donald Dewar